Category Archives: Aviation

On 3rd June 1971, Singapore Airlines made its maiden foray into Mumbai, completing 50 years of operations since then. Over the last 50 years, we have achieved several key milestones in Mumbai. Owing to the pandemic, Singapore Airlines continues to have zero passenger flights out of India, and a lot of international borders are still closed for regular passenger traffic. Unfortunately, it is in this sombre and uncertain environment that Singapore Airlines ushered in the Golden Jubilee of its Mumbai operations.

Uzbeksitan Airways has appointed Aeroprime as its PSA (Passenger Sales Agent) for India. Aeroprime will be responsible for the airlines’ sales, reservations, customer service and ticketing. Abhishek Goyal, Executive Director, Aeroprime stated, “We are honoured to be working with Uzbekistan Airways in India. Our appointment is a perfect reflection of Aeroprime’s specialised offering of localised expertise and networks, which gels perfectly with the airlines’ philosophy and vision. The airline will be supported by international best practices of Aeroprime, to expand their market share and sales in India.”

CAPA Advisory, in its Airline Outlook FY2022, has said that there will be strategic consolidation in the Indian airline sector once the COVID umbrella has lifted. If there is no consolidation (although such a scenario appears unlikely) and if the privatisation of Air India does not proceed, then the Indian aviation sector may emerge from COVID with more airlines than it went in with.

Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) has received the final credit sanction for Rs3,725 crore from the State Bank of India (SBI) for the development of Noida International Airport (NIA). Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA) is the main shareholder of YIAPL and is injecting Rs2,005 crore into the development of NIA.

Former Civil Aviation Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Suresh Prabhu has requested the Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri to issue passports to fully vaccinated persons as has been done in other countries. In a letter shared on Twitter, Prabhu said that it is necessary to allow fully vaccinated persons to travel freely so as to restore normalcy.

Leslie Thng, CEO, Vistara has said that his airline  is focussing on a leaner cost-structure as well as exploring newer avenues to supplement earnings. He also said that Vistara aims to have 70 planes by 2023. He further said that full service carriers look to be relevant more in the current scenario due to less density of seats in the cabins. Vistara currently has a fleet of 46 aircraft.

The tourism industry has lost another stalwart in Dr. Ankur Bhatia. He was the Executive Director at Bird Group. Bhatia passed away of a cardiac arrest. He was 48. A prolific and outstanding leader, Ankur Bhatia led the group’s strategic thrust to create multiple drivers of growth that made a significant and growing contribution to the company and industry at large. He also shaped and implemented blue ocean strategies that strengthened the overall brand proposition and accelerated a leap in core business value by exploring new growth avenues for building uncontested market leadership. Dr. Bhatia brought in the Amadeus brand to the Indian sub-continent in 1994.      

ANA Holdings has partnered with leading game studio JP Games to launch ANA Neo which is an interactive virtual platform that will bring the joy of travel and unique online shopping opportunities to audiences worldwide. Key to the platform is the ‘Sky Whale’ where users will be able to travel and access interactive activities and other environments within ANA Neo. The service is scheduled to launch in 2022, and it will be a welcome sight in an age when COVID-19 has accelerated digitization while curtailing travel opportunities. ANA Neo harnesses the latest breakthroughs to forge new bonds between people and cultures. “ANA Neo will open up the joy of travel to a much broader audience and provide users with an unrivaled experience,” said Mitsuo Tomita, president and CEO of ANA Neo. “Complete with realistic recreations of famous tourist sites and unprecedented shopping options, ANA Neo will help people explore the world from the comfort of a connected smart device. As the first global airline to launch this type of platform, we are excited to open up new possibilities and new experiences for people.” “Much like travel, virtual platforms are an excellent way to connect with people and experience new things,” said Hajime Tabata, chief producer of ANA NEO and Chief Executive Officer of JP GAMES. “ANA Neo is a bold new reimagining of a virtual platform, leveraging the latest breakthroughs to create an immersive digital world that captures the wonder of travel and lets families and friends tour them together.

AirlinePros international is pleased to announce a partnership with Dex Group, an established name in India’s Travel & Tourism industry, with over 50 years of experience in Indian Aviation. This is extremely complementary to our existing network and significantly expand our presence in key cities across India. As the aviation industry makes a slow restart, partnerships are key to ensure sustainable growth, to provide superior results in terms of increasing revenues and reducing costs for all our existing and potential clients. Achma Asokan, CEO commented “Our vision to be the most trusted and innovative network for servicing the aviation industry involves global partnerships as the DNA that runs through our raison d’etre. Our local partners bring to AirlinePros International the opportunity to connect innovative ideas, cultural diversity, expertise and professionalism to add unparalleled value to AirlinePros, our Global Partners and Clients. We have been exceptionally fortunate to have continued our global expansion throughout the pandemic, adding many new relationships. So, our global teams are prepared and ready for the “Aviation Restart and Resurgence Phase.” Our India operations are particularly special due to the huge untapped potential that exists and the immense strengths of our partner, DEX Group, having been pioneers in the industry in India.” Ramesh Marwah, Director Dex Group commented, “We are proud to partner with AirlinePros and are extremely happy to join strengths with one of the most professional & globally recognized aviation network group. As a long-established business with a pan India presence, the opportunity to work with a global organization is a perfect fit for us both. For Dex Group to partner with AirlinePros seemed like an opportune move as our two organizations share similar values …

German carrier Lufthansa has announced that it has lifted the ban on passenger flights to India, and will operate 10 weekly flights from Germany to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The Netherlands, too, has lifted the ban on passenger flights from India that had come into force on April 26 this year. The European Union’s (EU) list of ‘safe countries’, however, does not include India yet.